Run
by E. F. Brighty
Summary: Another prompt from TUp 100. Pedro belongs to amagicbeyond and her story 'Learning to Dance'


She could see him, hiding in the white smoke, she was sure of it.

Running, running all the more faster, harder – she had to get to him. Stop him.

He would leave, he had made sure of it, fly away into the darkness of space and erupt like a million atomic bombs all at once – ending the robots, and himself.

But that had already happened. So why was she running? What was running's purpose, what good would it do now?

_It should have been me. I should have gone. Should have been…_ the thoughts whirled through her head as she pushed forwards, his face always in the distance – would she ever reach him?

Still she kept running, racing against no one but herself and time, but time had run out, surely. So why was she _still_ pushing forward?

What would one gain from catching up with nothing? Another nothing? The end of nothing, or the start of a new nothing's beginning, leading on and on into the darkness that was empty yet full. But then –

He was closer, closer than before – she knew he was, the outline of his face clearer and closer, his dark coloured eyes shone through the thickening mist. But she would get there first.

First? Who else was racing? No one, again no one but her.

She tripped over something, a something that was not there. The ground felt hard and rocky, but soft and feather-like at the same time.

_Where was she again?_

Shoes, a pair of shoes, old and worn, black leather and dried brown mud. Where had the mud come from?

She looked up and suddenly he was there, looking down at her. Smiling. He was smiling and she couldn't help but smile back.

Once more she was standing, but the white clouds had gone. Replaced with rolling green grass and huge hawthorn trees that towered over them, watching them. The bright, glistening sun beamed down on top of a true blue sky, as wispy clouds floated by, there was the sound of a river and young children running, playing. But she couldn't see them.

She looked down again, mud. That's where it had come from.

They walked, and walked some further distance than she had ran. Wandering nowhere and everywhere, the land went on forever. A river ran by, yellow water seemed out of place and yet fit perfectly in her mind.

He tugged at her hand and she was running once more, running with him beside her. She decided this was more enjoyable than alone.

Metal clanked underfoot and she looked down, back up and he was trapped. A blue force field separated them once more.

She screamed and cried, called his name. But he stared back silently.

The air was cold and the sky black, gone were the clouds and sun, the river and trees. All that remained was the metal of the ship and Pedro.

And suddenly he was gone. Flung out into space, towards the ships. Towards the gaping mouth of certain death. The air exploded as it had before, violent reds and oranges filled the emptiness of space.

Jerking backwards, her eyes flew open. He was in front of her once more, only he wasn't she knew that. The not-Pedro's face contorted and became harder, older. Brown hair turned grey and facial hair grew along his upper lip.

Up was there, not Pedro. She clung onto him, the man blinked before pulling her to his lap, swaying back and forth gently as water splashed onto his bare shoulder and down his back.

"Just a dream, Taz. Just a dream" he muttered softly, holding her close to his chest.

And then she was asleep again, once more running. Running towards him and she wondered when she would stop or if she wanted to stop. Forever running and falling, flailing, flagging. Hoping one day she would beat him and save him.

This different dream plagues her mind at night, the white clouds are not there, instead there lie thousands of robot sentinels. Oil and smoke fill the air, choking her lungs and blocking her vision.

But still she keeps running, fighting. Beating the robots was the only thing that mattered.

Red and green lights filled the blackened sky, angry black sockets stuck out against their shining silver bodies.

To beat them, that was their job. Get the job done and that was what they would do, finish the robots and get out, end the robot wars and live in peace.

_What is peace?_ Peace is a word that has not lived for over a hundred years, it's never been spoken aloud nor has anyone thought of it. Or surely this peace would have been invoked, reconciled and made law, and peace would rule the world.

But it hadn't and most likely wouldn't.

So now she fights, charging through robots as if they were water, getting closer to the end. Closer to winning, both her and Up.

Up is somewhere in the darkness, she can hear him but the ugly black clouds prevent her from reaching him.

But she'll find him and after that all will be okay, peace will reign. Right?

But now she's flying, higher and higher into the air. No not flying, captured. Held hostage by two giant sentinels, both grips as strong as iron was meant to be, unyielding despite her cry of pain.

She heard him call her name, his feet pounding on the ground. The smoke cleared and he was running now, racing to save her.

In her head she knew what was coming next, tried to stop him, tried to save him from fate. But fate was cruel and unkind, and snatched the Commander from the ground in the form of Optimus Prime and his tentacles.

Red and screams. A scream from her subconscious and a scream from her own mouth.

Taz sat alone in her room; no one was there this time. Far away in the depths of space was her location and down on earth, safely tucked in his bed was Up's.

And no amount of running would bring them back together this time.


End file.
